Reptiles

The Parish is home to a number of species of reptiles and amphibians

Slow Worm

This is actually not a snake, but a legless lizard, this one is a female, photographed at the end of October, on some tarmac, warming up. They give birth to live young, and can be very long lived, up to 30 years in the wild, and the record in captivity is 54 years. There are a number of features which are different from snakes, the scales do not overlap they have eyelids and can shed their tails as a defence mechanism. They eat slugs and worms and are often found under stones or sheeting.

Common Frog

Frogs are not a uniform colour and can be any colour from olive green to grey-brown, brown, olive brown, grey, yellowish and rufous. However, it can lighten and darken its skin to match its surroundings. Some individuals have more unusual colouration — both black and red individuals have been found in Scotland, and albina frogs have been found with yellow skin and red eyes. During the mating season the male common frog tends to turn greyish-blue.